Hello Joker! Before anything, I have to say it: impressive job you did there, congratulations! I like to believe that you actually liked doing it, but still, it surely took some hard work, so thank you!

Now I shall request your help . After some research, Audio Fischer DBA-02 MKII seemed to match what I was looking for, at an afordable price range, in fact,I was just waiting for it to come back to stock in topdogheadphones.

But today another IEM catched my eye: Musical Fidelity EB-50. Besides being single armature, it seems to be a nice IEM (at least all the reviews I saw are positive) with a pricing similar to DBA-02 MKII.

From what I've read (my experience is somewhat limited), they seem to have similar signatures, but I don't really know how different are they. Any word on the EB-50?

Hello mr. Joker - I am looking at getting some phones around the $150 range (maybe 2 sets, 1 for critical listening and 1 for pure fun). I am definitely a rock and roll guy with some pop and techno thrown in and like a v shape signature (own gr02 be, mtpg, x10, re0, mh1c) and gr02 be is currently my favorite set. Good bass with punch is a must and some sub bass (car stereo has 2 sealed 10s for punch) but most of the sets I have now do not have the very detailed highs (I like them crisp), better instrument separation and wider soundstage. IEMs on my short list right now are eph100, ba200 ( I know you have not reviewed them yet), gr07 be, t Peos h100, pfe112, re-262. Please let me know your thoughts.

may you consider the triple fi 10 , you should get what you asking for . but may be priced over your budget .

Hello mr. Joker - I am looking at getting some phones around the $150 range (maybe 2 sets, 1 for critical listening and 1 for pure fun). I am definitely a rock and roll guy with some pop and techno thrown in and like a v shape signature (own gr02 be, mtpg, x10, re0, mh1c) and gr02 be is currently my favorite set. Good bass with punch is a must and some sub bass (car stereo has 2 sealed 10s for punch) but most of the sets I have now do not have the very detailed highs (I like them crisp), better instrument separation and wider soundstage. IEMs on my short list right now are eph100, ba200 ( I know you have not reviewed them yet), gr07 be, t Peos h100, pfe112, re-262. Please let me know your thoughts.

I haven't heard the T-Peos either. The PFE112 and RE262 are almost guaranteed not to have the bass you are looking for. The EPH-100 is more like it but it's not too v-shaped. The JVC FXT90 is more so in my opinion. I have a less popular suggestion - the older JVC FX500. It's got very natural bass with little mid-bass bloat and crisp, sharp highs. If you can find one and don't mind the poor isolation, it would be a better match for the GR02's signature than the EPH-100 or FXT90.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rDomingues

Hello Joker! Before anything, I have to say it: impressive job you did there, congratulations! I like to believe that you actually liked doing it, but still, it surely took some hard work, so thank you!

Now I shall request your help . After some research, Audio Fischer DBA-02 MKII seemed to match what I was looking for, at an afordable price range, in fact,I was just waiting for it to come back to stock in topdogheadphones.

But today another IEM catched my eye: Musical Fidelity EB-50. Besides being single armature, it seems to be a nice IEM (at least all the reviews I saw are positive) with a pricing similar to DBA-02 MKII.

From what I've read (my experience is somewhat limited), they seem to have similar signatures, but I don't really know how different are they. Any word on the EB-50?

I have not heard the EB-50 but as far as I can tell it uses a Knowles SR armature and may very well be manufactured by Dunu/Topsound. I would be very surprised if it's serious competition for the DBA-02 mkII but stranger things have happened.

Interested to hear your views on comparison of the bass of DBA-O2 Mk2 vs RE-271. I know that you prefer the mids and highs of the RE-271 and I am tempted in tha direction, as I need another iem. However, not sure about the bass quantity on the 271. I like the bass on the DBA, its quantity is enough for me, and I like the punch and the quality. How do you rate the 271 against it. Many thanks..

Thanks for putting this all together, this info is appreciated. I spent hours reading this stuff recently, ha time flies for a newbie.

One way of organizing it I was curious about, has this ever been arranged by sound quality/price? Like a list organized twice, first by price then by sound rating, so you can see what has the best sound rating for the price range you're comfortable with.

Since pretty much what I've been doing is cutting and pasting names of ones I'm interested in or seen on amazon in my price range, then seeing what the sound rating and review is. I recently ordered some, but it's possible there are some with great sound in my range I've missed so far. Anybody know? Thanks.

Anyways, based on these reviews I recently got the Brainwavz M5, Astrotec AM-90, and ME CW31. These got 7.6, 7.4, and 6.9 sound rating, and I got them for about $40, $45, and $25 for the CW21. Also got the Monoprice 8320 which I haven't tried yet, with 7.5 rating. My previous favs have been the Brainwavz Beta ones, which I always got on excellent sales for 13 bucks., rated 6.7 here.

I dig your reviews, they're informative and straight-shooting etc. A question on sound, how much of a difference would you say there is between a 7, 7.5, and an 8? Then from that to 8.5 etc? How notable, and how worth the price, though that's pretty subjective true. I've never spent more than 50 bucks on earphones, usually a lot less than that. Since they always die on me after less than a couple years, it's hard to justify spending a lot. But I am curious to hear some higher quality to compare.

So, I guess a long story short, what are some that have the highest sound quality available for the lowest price? I notice for example the VSonic GR-06 has an 8.1, higher than anything I've heard, but for 70 bucks how much better is that than a 7.6? Anything else with around an 8 with a lower price than that, etc? Thanks again for all the great info.

Interested to hear your views on comparison of the bass of DBA-O2 Mk2 vs RE-271. I know that you prefer the mids and highs of the RE-271 and I am tempted in tha direction, as I need another iem. However, not sure about the bass quantity on the 271. I like the bass on the DBA, its quantity is enough for me, and I like the punch and the quality. How do you rate the 271 against it. Many thanks..

The overall bass quantity is somewhat similar but the bass is presented differently - the RE272 generally sounds slightly softer and fuller of note. Its bass is not as punchy as that of the mkII but it decays more naturally. The mkII is punchy and quick, as is the case with most TWFK-based earphones, and that immediacy is what's lacking in the 272.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MetalLaserSteel

Thanks for putting this all together, this info is appreciated. I spent hours reading this stuff recently, ha time flies for a newbie.

One way of organizing it I was curious about, has this ever been arranged by sound quality/price? Like a list organized twice, first by price then by sound rating, so you can see what has the best sound rating for the price range you're comfortable with.

Since pretty much what I've been doing is cutting and pasting names of ones I'm interested in or seen on amazon in my price range, then seeing what the sound rating and review is. I recently ordered some, but it's possible there are some with great sound in my range I've missed so far. Anybody know? Thanks.

Anyways, based on these reviews I recently got the Brainwavz M5, Astrotec AM-90, and ME CW31. These got 7.6, 7.4, and 6.9 sound rating, and I got them for about $40, $45, and $25 for the CW21. Also got the Monoprice 8320 which I haven't tried yet, with 7.5 rating. My previous favs have been the Brainwavz Beta ones, which I always got on excellent sales for 13 bucks., rated 6.7 here.

I dig your reviews, they're informative and straight-shooting etc. A question on sound, how much of a difference would you say there is between a 7, 7.5, and an 8? Then from that to 8.5 etc? How notable, and how worth the price, though that's pretty subjective true. I've never spent more than 50 bucks on earphones, usually a lot less than that. Since they always die on me after less than a couple years, it's hard to justify spending a lot. But I am curious to hear some higher quality to compare.

So, I guess a long story short, what are some that have the highest sound quality available for the lowest price? I notice for example the VSonic GR-06 has an 8.1, higher than anything I've heard, but for 70 bucks how much better is that than a 7.6? Anything else with around an 8 with a lower price than that, etc? Thanks again for all the great info.

You can play with the google doc to get a better feel for the numbers. Not sure if sorting by multiple criteria is allowed but you can always copy/paste the data into excel and use the sorting feature.

Regarding the numbers - they are not meant to tell you how much better something is, only to organize things one after the other. Obviously I do think a GR06 sounds better than a CW31 but there would be important factors such as your personal affinity for their sound signatures to pay attention to as well. The Brainwavz Beta, for example, is somewhat v-shaped in sound so you won't necessarily like the more mid-centric AM-90 better.

As for overall value for money, I feel that there are sweet spots all over the sub-$200 range. There is always something that performs a little better so if you're flexible and know what you're after, it may not be a bad idea to avoid 'what ifs' by splurging on one set. Otherwise setting a hard budget is probably the way to go.

I'm mainly writing to say thank you very much for the reviews. They have definitely helped me along the way. Just got the RE-262 today ($99!!) and am loving Paul Simon's Graceland on them from my computer. Unfortunately from my 4S/E5 amp they don't sound as good. I know the 262's need more power then normal and was wondering if the E11 would be a good amp to pair with them and the 4s? Budget is $60 minus. Thanks!

I am looking for a custom which can compliment the custom JH16 Pro Freqphase or Rooth LS8+, because I wish to be listening for a similar sound signature on the go without attracting attention. Here's a bit more info on what I'm looking for:

-Usage:I will be using these for a long time, so I hope they can last a while. I will be using them on the go, so I don't want them to be too "flashy" or attracting attention. I also want it easily driven by lightweight, portable sources (no amp). I also use them for performing (I play alto sax in concert and marching band). When not on the go I often watch videos, play video games, watch movies, call and conference, and play audio related media on my computer. Sometimes I sleep with them on.

-Song Genres:I listen to pop and DJ (popular songs), rap, electronic (trance, techno, house, synth pop), soundtracks and instrumental, jazz, classical, song remixes and parodies, and rock most often. Majority of my songs are modern (2000 and newer), but I do listen to jazz and classical music and sometimes poorly recorded songs/audio.

-Bass:The majority of the music I listen to is bass inclined, so I enjoy listening to bass that is good quality and a fair amount of quantity, but I do want a bit of mid-bass over low-bass (not too much though).

-Mids:As for the mids, vocals and instruments also play a large role in my music selection. I'm looking for smooth, lush, clear, detailed, and imaging mids. I do not want the mids to be laid back or forward but presented more naturally.

-Treble:For treble, I like a smooth, crisp, and sparkly presentation with good clarity, but not extended treble to the point it becomes fatiguing or creating treble spikes.

-Presentation:I wish for the overall presentation to be clear, detailed, natural, realistic, 3D and imaging, punchy, transparent, balanced, and have a wide soundstage. However, most importantly, I would like it to be musically fun to listen to and to "be true to the recording".

I am looking for a custom which can compliment the custom JH16 Pro Freqphase or Rooth LS8+, because I wish to be listening for a similar sound signature on the go without attracting attention. Here's a bit more info on what I'm looking for:

What happened to the super-duper-awesometasticsauce Translucent 1Plus2?

You can play with the google doc to get a better feel for the numbers. Not sure if sorting by multiple criteria is allowed but you can always copy/paste the data into excel and use the sorting feature.

Regarding the numbers - they are not meant to tell you how much better something is, only to organize things one after the other. Obviously I do think a GR06 sounds better than a CW31 but there would be important factors such as your personal affinity for their sound signatures to pay attention to as well. The Brainwavz Beta, for example, is somewhat v-shaped in sound so you won't necessarily like the more mid-centric AM-90 better.

As for overall value for money, I feel that there are sweet spots all over the sub-$200 range. There is always something that performs a little better so if you're flexible and know what you're after, it may not be a bad idea to avoid 'what ifs' by splurging on one set. Otherwise setting a hard budget is probably the way to go.

Right on. I don't have Excel and when clicking on say the "I" cost column in google docs I'm not seeing how to sort it by price. But thanks anyway, good info.

I dig the Beta, and I have liked V-shaped, but I'm thinking more clarity and also less listening fatigue may be a good thing.